


The Crabitat Language, Attunement, Understanding, and Unity, Standard

by cylite



Category: Blaseball (Video Game)
Genre: Baltimore Crabs (Blaseball Team), Gen, Just one long conversation over the course of 12 seasons, The Crabitat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29478960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cylite/pseuds/cylite
Summary: The CLAWS test is used to determine a pilots compatibility with one another in the even that the Crabitat needs to be used against an outside enemy. The Baltimore Crabs have always played a roll in defending the city, but most people don't really understand what that entails.
Kudos: 7





	The Crabitat Language, Attunement, Understanding, and Unity, Standard

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway Pacific Rim was a good movie eh?

As Polkadot Patterson is led into the maw of the Crabitat she isn’t sure what to think. As her tour guide happily points out the locker rooms, practice areas, and dorms, she thinks it’s a little odd. When she seats her down into what looks like an office waiting room Dot finally admits that she had no idea what was going on anymore. There were a lot of _rumours_ about the Crabs. About carcinization. About what they did to their God. 

Nora Perez turns around, cheerfully oblivious to Dot’s internal monologue and motions to one of the chairs in the lobby to finish off her first tour. She sits down and gestures for Dot to do the same. “And then there’s one last thing! We’ll just need to get your claws done!”  
  
 **\--** **_My what?_ ** **\--**  
  
[Your C-L-A-U-U-S] Combs Duende takes the time to fingerspell it this time, making it clear that it’s meant to be an acronym. [It’s a part of the requirements to pilot the Crabitat in case of an emergency] 

Holden Stanton looks around nervously before signing back. He wonders how often emergencies happen and thinks better of it when he sees a smudge of Nora’s ashes still on Combs’ uniform. He goes with his second question. [You mean this thing moves?] 

[Yeah. When it gets rough everyone chips in to move this mountain.]

[Everyone?] Holden asks, thinking of the looming figure of Forrest Best or the ghostly form of Joshua Watson that he had seen on the Crab’s roster. 

**\--** **_Anything that can form a thought of it’s own can step into one of the seats_ ** **\--**

“I AM VERY GLAD OF THAT, IN THIS CASE IT MEANS ANY NON-ORGANIC PLAYERS, IF YOU ARE EVER ALLOWED THEM, WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE” Oliver Notarobot proclaims, still sounding somewhat defensive after the clarification.

Pedro Davis laughs, “well actually it’s meant to make sure that anyone can take part when they need to. We once-” He starts, but then thinks better of it. “Any number of pilots can participate at once, they just need a certain amount of synchronization with one another. But the fewer pilots the more in sync they need to be to get her moving.” 

“SO WHY USE THE TEAM THEN, IF ANYONE IN THE CITY WILL DO?”

**_\-- It’s about timing --_ **

Tot Fox interrupts, putting the pieces together quicker than most forest creatures would be expected to. _It’s not that other people can’t do it, but rather that a team of players is in sync with each other enough that they can hold off whatever needs fighting until the rest of the city arrives._ She surmises.

[Correct] Forrest Best signs back, unphased by the interruption because it knows better than to underestimate forest creatures. [But even so, we can only do so much. The whole team together is fine, but pairs or trios who are able to pilot together must be compatible with one another. They must form a connection.]

**_\-- But what if you can’t make that connection with anyone? --_ **

Parker Parra just laughs. “You worry way too much! We even found folks that Tillman can drift with, you’ll be no problem!”

Nagomi McDaniel doesn’t laugh. She tries to look Parker in the eyes but finds that’s more difficult than she thought it would be. She settles for just frowning at them instead. Parker doesn’t let up, but their tone does soften a little.  
  
“Seriously, it’s nothing to be scared of, you just need to answer a few questions and someone will click with you at practice - there’s always something to hold onto I promise.” 

**_\-- What if there’s just not enough of me to connect to? --_ **

Kennedy Loser’s face drops as soon as he hears Finn James say it. 

“I was down in the bay for a long time Ken. I don’t think there’s enough much left anymore.” This is the first time she’s dropped the act since coming out of the water. Finn has always been good at keeping a smile on her face. She looks back at him. “I don’t know if anyone can fit inside my head anymore” 

“Finn you don’t need to force it. You will always have a place here no matter how long you’re away for, and no matter what happens to you.” 

**_\-- Are you sure? --_ **  
  
“YES! THE CRABS WILL WANT TO TAKE TURNS STAYING DURING THEIR OFF HOURS! BUT THEY WILL APPRECIATE THE OFFER. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FORREST ALSO DOES NOT NEED TO SLEEP, SO IT COULD ALSO SIMPLY STAY HERE FULL TIME, BUT IT LETS THE OTHERS TAKE TURNS ANYWAY” Oliver Notarobot is very clear about this rule.  
  
Axel Trololol frowns.“I don’t think I get it, I’m strong enough to carry this thing on my own, but you’re saying they won’t let me?” It really doesn’t seem like a big deal to him.  
  
“I BELIEVE IT HAS TO DO WITH WHAT CAME BEFORE. EVEN A SINGLE GOD CANNOT WITHSTAND THE MIGHT OF THE WHOLE CITY UNITED. EVEN A SINGLE SIX STAR PITCHER CANNOT DEFEAT A WHOLE TEAM.” Oliver doesn’t know the story, but at this point he knows the idea. He tries explaining again. 

**_\-- It’s not meant to be taken literally --_**

Holden Stanton frowns and holds the cassette player up to his good ear. [I don’t know man it still just sounds like noise to me] He signs, ending with an exaggerated shrug.  
  
Adalberto Tosser lets out the breath he was holding and makes the most exaggerated face possible to show his offence. [Holden please when I heard you were coming back I was so excited to have someone around with decent taste in music!] 

Holden laughs at him [don’t worry I’ll hear your side of it next time we drift. I’m sure whatever you and Val put together is very _artistic_ ]. Tosser rolls his eyes at him and Holden continues. [we’re still compatible right? I know it’s been a while.]

Tosser waves him off. [Don't worry about it, I won't make you go through the test again unless you go through some major life changing event]

\-- **_A life changing event?_ **\--

Forrest Best pauses for a minute before responding, with uncharacteristic slowness. [Yes I think that’s a good term for it]

“What kind of change?” Montgomenty Bullock asks. They are currently being occupied by an elderly psychologist from Montgomery County so Forrest took the opportunity to get some expert advice. 

[I can feel things now that I could not before. It is unpleasant] Forrest.

“Is it unpleasant, or just unfamiliar?”  
  
[Unfamiliar]  
  
“And the things you feel - does it feel like it does when you’re piloting?” She asks. 

Forrest takes a minute to think. It’s not used to feeling this much all the time and it’s distracting to say the least. It has no idea how everyone else does this all the time. 

[I think so] It adds hesitantly. 

“You’re fine Forrest. You can use your connections to ground yourself in people that you trust when you need to. This change doesn’t need to be a bad thing.” 

[You do not think I need to retake the assessment?] It checks.

 **_\--It’s not a problem--_ **  
  
“Are you sure? I mean I’m worried about what will happen if you plug me into the Crabitat, what kind of things that they might get access to” Luis Acevedo is uncharacteristically nervous about this. They don’t like talking about their contract with Crypton Fluture Media.  
  
“Don’t worry about it. The Crabitat isn’t a machine, they can’t touch it with their weird shit” Pedro Davids scoffs.  
  
“I want to help, I really do, but I just don’t want to be the thing that gets CFM into this place.” Luis tries again to convince him. 

“Let them try. They just don’t understand who they’re fucking with.” He turns back to the contract before muttering to himself.

**_\--A place like this, it has a mind of its own--_**

“Exactly” Brock Forbes snaps his fingers at their newest recruit, she catches on quickly.

Silvaire Roadhouse looks deep in thought. “So it’s like riding a horse.”

Brock, having seen Silvaire’s definition of a horse before, is inclined to agree. “Yes - but can you tell me what _you_ mean by that?”

“I mean that it’s not just about you going where you want to go, or leading the way. It’s about working together and leading each other out of a mess. You have to know when to lead and when to follow, and when you can’t just force your way through.”

Brock relaxes. “Yeah that about sums it up.” 

Silvaire grins. 

**_\--I won’t let you down--_ **

Sutton Dreamy looks over at Nagomi McDaniel finally back with the team and out of her shell. She takes a moment to respond. “No one thinks you would Nagomi.” 

Nagomi frowns. Her voice is hoarse and quiet from disuse. “It’s not that. It’s just - I know I’m not always _all there_ anymore. I know that I’m not at my best, but I need you guys to know that I can keep my shit together when I need to.”  
  
Dreamy blinks slowly. “It’s okay if you need some time. It’s okay if you don’t want any. But I’d like to think we’ve all been connected long enough that we can trust each other.”

Dreamy raises her glass to tap against Nagomi’s and they let the sound carry through the interior of the stadium. 

She says it like a toast, but they both know it’s a fact. 

**_\--When the call goes out, nothing will stop us from answering.--_ **

Winnie Hess looks back at Valentine Games in surprise and laughs. “You’re getting sentimental with all that blood loss Val.”

“Maybe.” She admits, but looking back at the small crowd gathered in front of them he can’t help but be impressed. 

With the Crabs out of town and Baltimore cleaning up after the fight, someone had to step in and stand guard. They see a lot of faces they recognize. Holden is there, and Joshua, and Dreamy, and Nagomi. Even Tillman showed up. The real surprise is the rest of them. The pockets of Firefighters and Garages aren’t too shocking. But when she looks closer she sees smatterings of the rest of the league there too. Some Thieves and Jazz Hands, Mints and Tacos, basically anyone who ever played in the stadium, plus a couple extras. 

“It looks like they took this _Many Teams One League_ thing to heart.” Val muses and Winnie just laughs. 

The two of them share a look. They wonder if after everything they’ve been through they’re still compatible and decide, unspoken, that they can probably handle the first shift while the rest of them figure out who can drift together. 

“Ok softshells.” Winnie raises her voice and claps her hooves together to get their attention. “Who’s ready to get their CLAWS done?” 


End file.
